Client Stories

Increasing engagement with real learning stories

OVERVIEW

Challenge:

Inspire more colleagues to use Tesco Bank’s learning services by raising awareness of the breadth of opportunities available – not just classroom training.
Demonstrate the value of learning through its link to Tesco Bank core purpose, career paths and business impacts.

Approach:

Discovery phase and audience research led to the concept and design of the ‘Why Learning Matters To Me’ campaign. A series of short films featured colleagues telling their own personal stories, communicating the breadth and impact of Tesco Bank’s learning support, from mentoring to online resources. They screened via Tesco Bank’s internal communications channels and pop-up installations at multiple sites as part of a longer campaign of ongoing engagement, supported by a variety of communication materials.

Results:

Threefold increase in engagement with digital learning resources
A new, more personalised communication direction for Tesco Bank Academy, amplifying the colleague voice through storytelling
Colleagues recognise learning as a higher priority for their work, careers and the organisation

Our Why Learning Matters To Me campaign with LearnerLab inspired colleagues themselves to become advocates for the benefits of learning.

Dave Buglass, Head of Colleague Product, Tesco Bank

IN DEPTH

Background

Tesco Bank recognised that its people were not always aware of the breadth and value of learning opportunities available to them. The Why Learning Matters To Me campaign needed to stimulate greater desire for personal development and increase take-up of Tesco Bank Academy’s services. In raising the profile of Tesco Academy, we also needed to motivate a ‘self-service’ approach rather than a traditional ‘push’ to classroom learning, encouraging colleagues to drive their own development and access everyday on-the-job support.

Audience research led to twelve short films featuring colleagues telling their own personal stories, communicating the breadth and impact of Tesco Bank’s learning support.

Methodology

Starting with comprehensive audience research to understand the motivations and needs of Tesco Bank colleagues, we formulated an initial story recruitment stage to ask Tesco Bank colleagues ‘why learning matters’ and act as a teaser for the full campaign. It enabled us to collect a wide range of personal stories and select the most impactful and diverse for 13 video shorts, covering different roles, business units, ways of learning and outcomes. An interview process, based on our Storytagger workflow, helped selected colleagues build confidence and add a narrative arc to make their stories even more engaging.

The campaign launch saw the films screened at pop-up installations on touch-screen displays at multiple sites and released on Tesco Bank’s internal communications channels, including Academy TV and Academy Online via a campaign microsite. We also supported the campaign with messaging and a variety of communication materials including leaflets, email templates, online banners and more.

We wanted to make learning something our colleagues see and use as a natural part of their work day.

Dave Buglass,
Head of Colleague Product, Tesco Bank

Colleague video stories include:

How learning at Tesco Bank inspired me to write a song
How leadership skills have transformed the way I work
What I learned from the Graduate Programme
What I’ve learned from others I now give back
How coaching skills are helping me to develop others
What I’ve learned in my first year at Tesco Bank

Communication strategy and collateral

A campaign strategy – messaging, brand and assets – to help internal teams easily promote the content.

Story capture and production

Story recruitment strategy, interview framework and coaching, based on Storytagger, to help Tesco Bank capture engaging, authentic and relevant experiences from a diverse colleague group.

Pop-up interactive installation took stories into colleague spaces

To reach all colleagues, we developed a simple touring pop-up interactive installation that was easy to set up in canteens and public spaces across Tesco Bank’s three primary office locations.

WHY IT WORKED

Authentic colleague stories
Because our approach focussed on uncovering real learning stories, colleagues were able to identify directly with the impact learning can have on their work and career goals. Real stories challenged perceptions of what colleagues could achieve through learning more powerfully than a brochure or LMS listing.

Diversity and great storytelling
From a production perspective, using a story matrix made sure we targeted a diverse audience. Coaching support and our Storytagger interview framework helped our storytellers perform at their best in front of the camera.

RESULTS AND LEGACY

As well as trebling the uptake of online learning services, the ‘Why Learning Matters To Me’ campaign has helped shape a blueprint for more colleague-first communications at Tesco Bank Academy. It builds on Tesco’s core values, putting real people at the heart of its brand, and sharing positive experiences to build a more natural learning culture.